He played in four Connacht Finals with Leitrim, from 1957 to 1960. In 1958 they were narrowly beaten by a Galway team backboned by the players who would win 3 All-Ireland titles in a row from 1963 to 1966. In this match he had his jersey torn to shreds by the Galway backs, and many spectators said his performance was one of the all-time great gaelic football forward displays.

He played on his first Connacht Railway cup team at the age of 20, in 1954. He won his first Railway Cup with Connacht in 1957.

He won a Connacht Junior Championship in 1962, and was on the team which lost to Meath in the All-Ireland Junior Final.